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Ethan Hawke reteaming with Denzel Washington for The Magnificent Seven

By:
WENN.com
Mar 02, 2015

Ethan Hawke is reuniting with his Training Day co-star Denzel Washington for the upcoming remake of classic western The Magnificent Seven. The Boyhood star is nearing a deal to become one of the gang of gunslingers in the new version of the iconic 1960 John Sturges film, according to TheWrap.
The casting not only reunites Hawke with Oscar-winner Washington, but also with their director Antoine Fuqua, who will helm the western, nearly 15 years after Training Day.
Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt and actress Haley Bennett will also co-star in the film, which was written by True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto and The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock.

Former child star Haley Joel Osment and 90210 actress Jessica Stroup have taken part in a bizarre new video which features a group of strangers slapping one another in the face. The Amazing Spider-Man actress Hannah Marks and Victorious co-stars Matt Bennett and Liz Gillies also agreed to participate in Chronicle director Max Landis' new social experiment.
He says, "The theory I had was that violence minus aggression is intimacy. It's the idea of trusting someone to hit you and it being a social interaction. A slap, mitigated by permission, is a hug."
The Slap video was inspired by the recent viral clip The Kiss, which featured strangers smooching.

Delayed gratification is supposed to be one of the more pleasurable human experience. Weeks, months, or years trudge by, making each minute of waiting excruciating until finally, the goal is reached and the resultant jubilance is explosive. That’s how tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries should have ended: with pure elation. Instead, we got an unwelcome twist that wants to rewrite two and a half seasons of build-up.
This is, of course, a rant about Thursday night’s long-awaited romantic explosion between Elena and Damon.
The writers clearly knew that the episode in which Damon and Elena finally got together would be the one that sent our perfect little memories back to our first Miss Mystic Falls pageant, when Stefan lost his way and Damon stepped in as Elena’s escort, piquing her interest during the traditional partners dance. This week, the gang is putting on another Miss Mystic Falls pageant and this time, Matt has to step in for Jeremy (who’s lost his way too) when the new girl, April, steps out to perform the traditional dance. Naturally, Damon and Elena both caught the similarities, and even made sure to spell it out for us by episode’s end as they’re about to go at it like vampire bunnies. But it’s all marred with Caroline’s sudden idea: Elena might be sired to Damon.
Let’s start with the “evidence.” Exhibit A: Elena broke up with Stefan because she’s in love with Damon and because Stefan is in love with the Elena who no longer exists. This makes Stefan crazy enough to believe Caroline’s theory.
Exhibit B: Elena supposedly does whatever Damon says, because Caroline noticed she kind of warmed to a dress that Damon chose earlier in the episode and because when Damon told her to calm down about Jeremy and he offered to take care of it, Elena trusted his word. Caroline thinks this is nuts because Damon is “scum,” but hasn’t the past season and a half taught that Damon is good at heart with a bad boy coating?
Exhibit C: When Elena couldn’t keep the blood bags and animal blood down, Caroline says it was because Damon said Elena couldn’t. (So, we’re supposed to believe that being a doppelganger has ruined Elena’s life for the entire span of the show and suddenly, it’s not causing problems anymore and her real blood aversion comes from an outlandish brain-washing yarn?) Plus, according to Caroline Damon was the person whose blood triggered the final stages of Elena’s transformation to vampire. Am I remembering the season premiere differently? Elena was teetering over the edge in the final moments of the 24-hour period in which a baby vampire needs to feed before it dies. She drank the blood of one of Pastor Young’s guards, and boom: she was jumping on Damon with her vampire fangs. Suddenly, we’re forgetting that and letting ourselves believe that Damon was her first feed? No thanks. I’ll stick with the truth.
While Damon and Elena are finally writhing around, ripping off clothes and hopping into Damon’s opulent bed, we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves, yet all we can think about is this crackpot theory which would erase all of Elena’s free will and emotions and replace them with an answer that would draw a line in the sand, making Stefan right about everything and Damon simply evil. That’s where this show started, and we’ve spent seasons watching it evolve, watching the good/evil identities of both Salvatores be replaced with something a little more human: developed personalities that don’t fit into check-boxes.
Elena has spent this season growing up, experiencing more sobering truths than she’d ever known, learning that sometimes you outgrow your first love, and slowing managing to tackle this vampire thing as an adult and not a helpless little girl. Yet Caroline’s idea that she’s simply lost control of herself via some witchy hoo-doo not only undermines the romantic encounter we’ve been itching for, it undermines everything Elena has been doing, thinking and feeling for as long as we’ve known her, and especially for what she’s been doing, thinking, and feeling in Season 4. If Caroline turns out to be right, the show will have rewritten its own brief history, however, if my supposition that Stefan doesn’t really believe it’s possible, but he goes along with the idea because it means there’s a fixable reason for Elena leaving him for his brother, is right, then all will be well in the Vampire Diaries world. In fact, it will be great.
Next: Why Stefan being delusional is actually great...
Because if Stefan is being consistent with his character throughout Season 4 (and throughout this episode, in which he makes Jeremy kill a vampire he just turned so that Jeremy’s tattoo map will grow and lead him to the “vampire cure”), our “good” boy has lost his mind. He wants to “fix” Elena by finding the cure, because he can’t love her the way she is now, and she doesn’t love him the way she used to. He’s lying and working with Klaus, who only wants the cure so he can continue to use Elena as a human blood bag (which sounds pretty inferior to life as a vampire if you ask me and not something a good boyfriend would want to the woman he loves). Stefan doesn’t make sense for Elena anymore. Damon does. We can see that, and we’re not sired. So please, writers, don’t continue to tarnish this wonderful occurrence with some explanation that seeks to cheapen it.
And considering what Caroline spent the episode doing, she’s in no position to question Elena’s judgement. Apparently, her fight with Tyler didn’t quite spell the end for Tyler and Caroline, but that end may be getting closer. Klaus requested that Caroline make good on her promise of a date, meaning she took him as her date for the pageant. Swoon? Still, Klaus showed up looking dapper, and rather innocent (it’s the 1950s side part that’s doing it). While Tyler was listening from afar, Caroline confided in Klaus about her issues with Elena and then giggled like a schoolgirl as he read off her (surprisingly poorly written) Miss Mystic Falls application from the year she won. She was enjoying herself, and Tyler was all too aware of it. (Or he was cranky because Caroline totally ignored Gabby Douglas earlier in the episode. They call that a cameo?)
While Caroline seems to be legitimately enjoying her time talking about the benefits of immortality with Klaus, the most evil vampire to hit this show, she’s judging Elena for having feelings for Damon? She can’t be serious. She could have inklings (whether she likes it or not) towards Klaus and that’s alright, but Elena wants to be with Damon and suddenly Caroline’s whipping out medieval plots? Pot, meet kettle.
There’s also, of course, the issue of this whole vampire hunter plot, which seems to be consuming characters like a terrifying gelatinous blob. Now that Damon knows Professor Shane knew Pastor Young, he’s deduced that Shane set up the explosion. And even though he’s all over his brother’s recent ex, Damon is set on helping Stefan find the cure, which means he can’t kill the vampire hunter encylopedia, Shane. Why? Because, as Shane reveals this week, they need a Bennett witch to use the cure once they find it with the Hunter tattoo, and Shane is the only person Bonnie (the last Bennett witch) trusts right now. But wait, there’s more.
Obviously Jeremy is involved, and now that he’s starting to develop violent tendencies, even toward Elena, he’s an easy replacement for Connor in Shane’s scheme. The younger Gilbert is dreaming about killing his sister, and after Stefan gets him to a kill a vamp to advance his tattoo, he almost takes out Elena again until Stefan and Matt save her. And after she recovers, this is where Shane’s (and Klaus’ and Stefan’s) plan stalls. According to Shane, it’s almost impossible to locate a Hunter, so they need Jeremy’s tattoo. But the more Jeremy kills, the less likely he is to control the urge to kill and the more likely it is he’ll kill Elena or one of their friends. So, after he tries to kill Elena, Matt moves into Elena’s room and she moves in with Damon in an effort to keep Jeremy in check. But with Jeremy in check, all sides of the plan are at a standstill.
That is until the wild card is thrown out: Haley isn’t breaking hybrids out of the kindness of her heart and she didn’t just show up in town because she missed Tyler. She’s working with Shane and breaking all of Klaus’ hybrids is part of his grand scheme. Who wants to place bets on the Hunter tattoo-map theory being an elaborate distraction to destroy Klaus while he wasn’t paying attention?
It could be heating up to be a far more interesting season than we anticipated (if they properly clear up all that sired nonsense).
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credit: CW]
More:
'Vampire Diaries' Recap: Is This The End?
'Vampire Diaries' Recap: Killing Time
'The Vampire Diaries' Recap: The First Cut is the Deepest
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Move over, Nessie — there's a new blurry, grainy photographic mystery in town and its name is Fassy. The elusive Fassy, as folklore will tell you, is an attractive landshark that is not only a respected actor in Hollywood, but one that can golf with its hands/fins behind its back. The mind boggles.
Now, imagine, if you will that this Fassy — which also responds to the name Michael Fassbender — came in contact with a Goosey. Goosey, in case you don't have the Internet or ABC Family for the 700th airing of The Notebook today, is something even more elusive: the perfect man. Experts sometimes refer to the desirable creature as Baby Goose, or simply, Ryan Gosling. Never have the two mysterious beings been photographed in the wild together...until now. This delightfully named Tumblr posted a photo of what appears to be the two stars filming a scene in Austin, Texas for a movie for the most elusive Hollywood creature of them all: Terrence Malick. The film, about intersecting love triangles, also features Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Holly Hunter, and Haley Bennett. (Though, how many of them will actually wind up in the final cut of the film will remain, well, a mystery). Hollywood.com reached out to Fassbender's rep to confirm if that is the actor filming a scene opposite Gosling for the untitled Malick project, but they could not immediately be reached for comment. Conspiracy theorists, go to town on that one! Now squint your eyes, check out the photo (which has strong evidence to back up the glorious claim) and determine if Fassy and Goosey really do walk among us commoners, together.[Photo credit: Brown Girls Love Fassy]More:
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After 11 blockbuster seasons of American Idol, it's hard to believe the reality series' Season 1 finale was virtually star-free (of course, with the exception of the gigantic star the show was in the process of creating). We only had Top 2 Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson, joining forces with their fellow Top 10 to perform schmaltzy performances that looked as uncomfortable as Ryan Starr's wardrobe. Now, 10 years later, the top-rated series attracts top promotion-minded talent like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Jack Black. (Wait, what?)
While Season 11's finale boasts performers slightly less buzzy, we're still in for a respectable line-up tonight: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gladys Knight, Gloria Gaynor, Kristen Chenoweth, Thelma Houston, Sheila E., Nelly Furtado, and Jennifer Holliday will be paying tribute to the late Donna Summer, while members of our Top 12 will duet with names like Holliday (Jessica Sanchez), Jordin Sparks (Hollie Cavanagh), Reba McEntire (Skylar Laine), Fantasia (Mantasia), and John Fogerty (Phillip Phillips).
Of course, we Idol fans are a fickle bunch who will never be satisfied until we're given complete power of attorney over the series — so naturally, I have to suggest a few Idol-star duets I'd be dying to see in tonight's finale. For all that is holy (like a Haley Reinhart and Tony Bennett performance of "Steppin' Out With My Baby"), please, Idol gods, find a way for these duets to happen in the next 12 hours (and our thoughts are still with you, likely-not-to-appear Jermaine Jones):
Jeremy Rosado: Oh gosh, who to pair with the extremely forgettable 13th place finisher with? Why not throw in Idol MVP Barry Manilow, who's appeared on the series five times? Let's make it an even six!
Shannon Magrane: To avoid awkward staging, let's get someone height-appropriate for the tall Idol contestant. The 5'11" Taylor Swift would also help baseball baby Shannon stray away from the too-mature material she seems to focus on. If you build the youth appeal, they will come. (Record companies, that is.)
Erika Van Pelt: Erika turned out to be one of the season's more uneven performers, delivering songs in styles ranging from dance pop to dated soul. And, as Wikipedia reminds me, Erika has a passion for "rhythm and blues, soul, country, jazz, rock, and classical." So what genre-jumping musician could we pair her with? The duet-friendly Kid Rock. Don't laugh — sure, it's as crazy as "Bawitdaba," but it could work.
Heejun Han: Billy Joel. So he, too, can take a piss out on "My Life."
DeAndre Brackensick: As much as we'd like one of the DeBarge brothers to come to the Nokia Theater to recreate DeAndre's "I Like It," the contestant sorely needs to prove himself as a contemporary, relevant artist. Let's get Robin Thicke to beef up his record sales-friendly profile.
Colton Dixon: Creed. Just kidding — I wouldn't even wish Scott Stapp on Tim Urban. And it wouldn't hurt Colton's accessibility to distance himself from his religion. Instead, let's pair him with another piano-friendly band, The Script.
Elise Testone: I'm tempted to pick Joss Stone for Elise — they both boast a hippie-funk style — but Elise's lack of refinement would make us feel like we're comparing apples to much tastier and shinier apples watching the pair. Instead, why not couple Elise with the ultimate hippie, Willie Nelson, whose laid-back style would allow Elise's powerhouse vocals to dominate the Idol joint (heh)?
Skylar Laine: Cheers, Idol. You actually got this one right, pairing the contestant with Reba McEntire, a star who both looks and sounds so like our fifth-place finisher, I'll be wondering if our finale wine is simply making us see double. That said, I'm still eager to one day hear the "Gunpowder and Lead"/"Diamond-Studded Pistol" mash-up from Skylar and Miranda Lambert.
Hollie Cavanagh: Miley Cyrus might be the obvious choice — Hollie always took up the opportunity to sing "The Climb" faster than she could say "[garbled, confusing British-American statement here]" — but she has far more in common with fellow reality series vet Leona Lewis. Doesn't hurt that Hollie's "Bleeding Love" was one of the few standouts of her season.
Joshua Ledet: The judges insist that Joshua is one of the best singers they've seen in 50 years. So let's test their expertise and couple the third-place finisher with the best singer of the past 50 years, Aretha Franklin.
Jessica Sanchez: Even though holograms are all the rage this 2012, let's not hope for a Whitney Houston duet. (Too soon. Too soon.) Though it's an obvious choice, we'd be crazy in love with the great TV that would come from watching a 16-year-old sing with her own greatest idol, Beyoncé.
Phillip Phillips: No, Phillip should not duet with Dave Matthews Band. Instead, he'd be best served paired with another artist with a distinguishable voice that's distinguishable from his own. The dream duet: Phillip proving he's the Better — nay, best — Man for the Idol crown via a finale performance fellow guitarist Eddie Vedder, who has recreated a song or two in his lifetime. I'm not Hiding My Love Away from that pipe dream!
Follow Kate on Twitter @HWKateWard
[Image Credit: FOX]
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In the span of a few months, Natalie Portman won an Oscar and had a kid. Since then, everyone's been dying to know when she'll come back to work. We were jazzed when the Black Swan actress was eying up Jupiter Ascending, another collaboration with the masters of Sci-fi Lana and Andy Wachowski, which sounded like an epic-in-the-making and the perfect curveball to avoid the dreaded post-Oscar slump. Now, news comes in she may have a different plan in store—but one that should satisfy fans nonetheless.
Portman has committed to starring in two back-to-back movies with heralded Tree of Life director Terrance Malick: Knight of the Cups, co-starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Isabel Lucas, and Lawless, which also sees Bale and Blanchett returning, along with Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara and Haley Bennett. Like Malick's previous films, there's little known about either project, but with an exceptional track record (and an Oscar nomination now under his belt for Tree of Life), there's a good chance Portman's decision will be one that works in the favor of her fans.
No word on when to expect either film in theaters—Malick is notorious for taking his time shooting and planning liberal post-produciton schedules—but with Portman on our radar, we'll be keeping close track of Knight of the Cups and Lawless all the way to completion.
Source: Deadline
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The Terrence Malick we all grew up with was known for making one heavy, introspective movie every eight years or so, and doing God knows what in the interim period. But those days are behind Malick. The Tree of Life was all anybody was talking about in the days between Black Swan and the OWS protests, which might be the prompt for the director to churn out two new films right away. Malick is currently working on Lawless (hopefully a Xena biopic...but, whatever it really is will probably also be good) and Knight of Cups (named presumably for the tarot card character). If the prospect of two upcoming Malick films is not enticing enough for you, listen to the casting: Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett are set to star in both movies.
Lawless will also star Ryan Gosling, breakout heroine Rooney Mara, and Haley Bennett (Marley &amp; Me). Knight of Cups' cast will include Isabel Lucas, who had a role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and the upcoming Immortals.
Bale and Blanchett aside, Malick is clearly interested in newcomers to Hollywood notoriety. Before this (very fruitful) year, Gosling was primarily known as "that guy from The Notebook;" the actor has barely begun a career that promises a good deal of adventurous surprises. Mara is in the same boat. Her name is becoming more and more house-held, and perhaps this immediate plunge into a cerebral Malick film will ensure that this great young actress does not become solely identifiable by her Dragon Tattoo role. As for Bennett and Lucas, we have yet to see the full range of their ability. Hopefully, and very likely, Lawless and Knight of Cups will give all involved a chance to expand their image and showcase their talent.
Source: Variety

S10E39: It was a pure country American Idol finale and, appropriately, the streamers fell for North Carolina's own Scotty McCreery last night. Of course, some of you probably already know that after a few news sources leaked the vote count early yesterday. Even so, the show provided enough entertainment to give you a reason to watch, even if you're a disheartened Lauren Alaina fan like me.
Sure, those of us on team Alaina were a little bummed last night. Our girl took the runner-up spot, but in reality, it doesn't matter that much. Check out a slew of entertainment websites today and you'll see banner ads for Alaina's single, "Like My Mother Does." It's never really mattered who gets the glitter shower at the end of the Idol road; if someone gets to the upper reaches and they're marketable, they'll put out an album, so worry not, fellow Alaina supporters.
As for Scotty, the kid is clearly going to be just fine for at least a little while. His 17 year-old charm will need to mature a bit if he hopes to keep it going, but it's clear that he's got plenty of fans and that at least for now, he doesn't really need to change a thing.
But the results weren't the only spectacle last night. Idol finales always run a bit like a variety show and this one was no different. We saw practically nonstop performances from Season 10 contestants, Jack Black, Tony Bennett, Carrie Underwood, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga along with a few video features and montages, and I'd be remiss if I didn't at least touch on my favorites.
Alright, this wasn't by any means amazing, but we saw a performance from our top 13 and it was sort of like seeing people from high school that you forgot about. "Oh, wow, I totally forgot you existed, but you're alright!" Even Haley Reinhart, who was only eliminated last week, seemed long a long-lost friend. Of course, it was great to see Paul McDonald, even though I'm sure he was not exactly stoked about performing "Born this Way."
This was probably my favorite part of the entire show. The man I wanted to make it to the end, Casey Abrams came out and rocked "Fat Bottom Girls" only to surprise us all with Jack Black. Sure, it was to help promote Kung Fu Panda 2, as Ryan so graciously reminded us, but I'm stoked to see that movie anyway and how fun was it to see those two act like a pair of crazy (awesome) people onstage? It was pretty fantastic...even if Seacrest manages to ruin everything.
Both Scotty and Lauren got to sing duets with country music superstars, Scotty with Tim McGraw and Lauren with Carrie Underwood, but Scotty also got to sing when he won, so we're going to talk about Lauren instead. She chose Underwood as her idol and then she actually got to sing one of her most well-known songs, "Before He Cheats." Now maybe I love this song too much (seriously, I don't listen to country music and I know every last word of it) and maybe I like Lauren too much, but this was just about perfect. The pair had great onstage chemistry, they worked so well together and even if Lauren didn't win, she got to perform with the singer she's hoping to emulate. I'm not going to lie, it's the moments like this that put a big goofy grin on my face.
Of course Lady Gaga performed. Of course she did. She did her latest single in her onslaught of singles, "On the Edge of Glory," while standing on a musical theater grade cliff complete with a piano and eventually a male model for her to simulate sex with. Did anyone else make a bet in those first few seconds that she'd end up jumping off that Pride Rock replica when the song was over? (I did.)
Of course we also saw Steven Tyler sing "Dream On" complete with his famous praying mantis side-bends and overzealous screeches (and it was awesome); we witnessed four mind-numbingly boring minutes of Spider-Man: Turn Out The Dark (a.k.a. Spider-Man: The Moneypit); Haley Reinhart sang a duet of "Stepping Out With My Baby" with Tony Bennett and proved that she needs to be a famous jazz singer; James Durbin donned his best Judas Priest outfit and performed with the band, so that happened; Beyonce performed her new single, but she's amazing so we'll share more on that later; and there were a few other performances, but seeing as the whole point of the this episode was to crown our Idol, let's end on Scotty's night-ending performance of his new single "I Love You This Big" as he choked back happy tears and walked around delivering thankful hugs to friends, family and his fellow contestants.
Congrats and all, but really? That's the song? Is his next song going to be about fingerpaints? Alright, snark attack over. Thanks for reading along throughout these almost 40 episodes of television. I'm not sure how many hours that adds up to -- I could do the math, but I choose not to -- but however many hours, it's a hell of a lot of television to get through. I always forget how these seasons feel like marathons. Sure, you didn't win a trophy last night, but go ahead and pat yourself on the back because holy crap, we made it!

There are 115 films selected for this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Even the most die-hard film buff couldn’t see each one that Park City, Utah has to offer but luckily we have selected the few that look most promising based solely on their loglines, cast, etc. (for a full list of competing films go here, for a full list of non-competing films here). Check out our top picks below!
Cedar Rapids (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) —A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver.
Ed Helms helped write the movie. That alone should sell the film to you.
The Details (Director and screenwriter: Jacob Aaron Estes) —When hungry raccoons discover worms living under the sod in a young couple’s backyard, the pest problem sets off a wild and absurd chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity, organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow.Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert. A movie with raccoons, infidelity, Elizabeth Banks, and a death by bow and arrow? Sold.
Life in a Day (Director: Kevin Macdonald) —Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations. While the film may be boring, the fact that they did this makes the film worth watching.
The Music Never Stopped (Director: Jim Kohlberg; Screenwriters: Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on the story “The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks) — A father struggles to bond with his estranged son who suffers a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. He learns to embrace his son’s choices and to try to connect with him through the power of music. Cast: J.K. Simmons, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mia Maestro. While this sounds a little too sad for my tastes, J.K. Simmons is the man. He alone could get me into any movie so I guess I’ll stick it out for this one.
My Idiot Brother (Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall) — After serving time for selling pot, Ned successively moves in with each of his three sisters as he tries to get back on his feet. His best intentions quickly bring the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity. Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer. If the cast alone isn’t working for you, Zooey Deschanel plays a lesbian with Rashida Jones. Don’t forget to breathe.
Perfect Sense (Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson) —A poetic and magnetic love story about two people who start to fall in love just as the world begins to fall apart. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Dillane, Denis Lawson and Connie Nielsen. I only included this one for its ridiculous logline.
Red State (Director and screenwriter: Kevin Smith) — A group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. Cast: Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo. Let’s see how well Kevin Smith handles the horror genre. He’s been talking about this one for years, time for him to put up or shut up. Though something tells me that won’t happen any time soon.
Salvation Boulevard (Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone and George Ratliff, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart) —An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei. There is something alluring about the prospect of a preacher framing someone for something they didn’t do. Add this cast in and we’re definitely excited.
The Son of No One (Director and screenwriter: Dito Montiel) —Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets. Cast: Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche. The closing night film doesn’t sound too interesting except that it has Tracy Morgan. Color me intrigued and let me stroke my long and gorgeous goatee.
Bobby Fischer Against the World (Director: Liz Garbus) — The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run. Bobby Fishcer is one of the most fascinating people to ever become a grand champion of chess. His story has been told before but personally I don’t think one more will hurt.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Director: Morgan Spurlock) — A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement. A film buff endorsing a movie from one of the best documentarians working in his new film about the film business? You must be crazy.
Bellflower (Director and screenwriter: Evan Glodell) — A ballad for every person who has ever loved and lost – with enough violence, weapons, action and sex to tell a love story with apocalyptic stakes. Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes. Case in point of a second half of a sentence completely saving the sentence from the first half.
Lord Byron (Director: Zack Godshall; Screenwriters: Zack Godshall and Ross Brupbacher) — When he's not pursuing women, Byron is smoking weed and loafing around. But he's grown restless in his middle-age and feels the need to escape – he just doesn't know where to go. Cast: Paul Batiste, Gwendolyn Spradling, Kayla Lemaire. We’re definitely not wanting to see this looking for advice. Definitely not.
The Off Hours (Director and screenwriter: Megan Griffiths) — A passing truck driver brings an unfamiliar sense of optimism to a woman working the night shift at a quiet diner, reminding her it's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton, Bret Roberts, Tony Doupe. I love truck drivers. I’m pretty sure I still want to be one. If this doesn’t have a killer country soundtrack I want my money back (which is whopping zero dollars, but whatever).
to.get.her (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five girls come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true. Cast: Jazzy De Lisser, Chelsea Logan, Adwoa Aboah, Jami Eaton, Audrey Speicher. BLUGH.
Kaboom (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki)— A science fiction story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Cast: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple. A science fiction film about sexual awakening? I’m there.
Meek’s Cutoff (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriter: Jon Raymond) — In 1845, three families who have hired mountaineer Stephen Meek to guide their wagons over the Cascade Mountains get lost and face hunger, thirst and a lack of faith in their instincts for survival. Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Zoe Kaza, Bruce Greenwood, Shirley Henderson. So this is basically a period piece of Alive with two of the best actors around. Done.
Submarine (Director: Richard Ayoade; Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade from the novel by Joe Dunthorne) — Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Cast: Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige. This film had a big showing at this years Toronto Film Festival. I just want to see it already!
Uncle Kent (Director: Joe Swanberg; Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne) — A pothead cartoonist in Los Angeles spends a weekend trying to sleep with his visiting house guest – a woman from New York he met on Chatroulette. Cast: Kent Osborne. While the premise sounds awesome, basing around the already past its prime fad Chatroulette seems like a wrong move.
Hobo with A Shotgun (Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Johnathan Davies) — A hobo hops from a train with dreams of a fresh life in a new city, but instead finds himself trapped in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun in his hands and two shells in the chamber. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey. Looks like we found the winner for Best Title.
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (Director and screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek) — A shy greeting card store employee unknowingly falls for a lesbian space alien while two government agents closely track their romance. Cast: Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Dennis Davis, Alex Karpovsky, Rae C Wright. Just kidding about the best title thing from above. This is the clear winner.
Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) (Director: Andre Ovredal) — A group of student filmmakers get more than they bargained for when tangling with a man tasked with protecting Norway from giant trolls. Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna Mørch, Tomas Alf Larsen. Norwegian giant trolls, what more could you ask for?
Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel (Director: Alex Stapleton) — Tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood’s most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, James Cameron, Roger Corman. Just look at who all is involved and tell why you wouldn’t watch this? Now shut up and learn something.
Jess + Moss (Director: Clay Jeter; Screenwriters: Clay Jeter and Debra Jeter) — Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, second cousins Jess and Moss only have each other. A series of visceral vignettes conjure memories of companionship and sexual awakening during a summer shared together on their Kentucky farm. Cast: Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers. So it’s like George Michael and Maebe make a movie? Whatever, I’ll watch.
The Nine Muses (Director and screenwriter: John Akomfrah) — An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. And the Most Pretentious Sounding Film award goes to The Nine Muses. Thanks for playing.
Benavides Born (Director: Amy Wendel; Screenwriters: Daniel Meisel and Amy Wendel) — A high school senior in a forgotten town has earned admission to the University of Texas at Austin but can't afford to go. Her one shot is a scholarship for winning the State Powerlifting Championship. Cast: Corina Calderon, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Joseph Julian Soria, Julia Vera, Julio César Cedillo. Female Powerlifting hasn’t exactly gotten the best films attached to it. I hope this film changes that.
Homework (Director and screenwriter: Gavin Wiesen) — Quirky, rebellious George has no ambitions other than to cut his next class. But one day, one girl gives him the perfect reason to figure out who he really is. Cast: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser with Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. This sounds stupid but Emma Roberts is kind of cute, so who knows.
The Ledge (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Chapman) — Perched on a ledge, a man says he must jump by noon, while a cop races against time to get to the bottom of it. Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard with Christopher Gorham. Early reviews of this film say its really good. So I’ll go along for now.
Like Crazy (Director: Drake Doremus; Screenwriters: Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones) — A young American guy and a young British girl meet in college and fall in love. Their love is tested when she is required to leave the country and they must face the challenges of a long-distance relationship. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston. UGH... wait, it’s Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence? Never mind, this is going to be awesome.
Take Shelter (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — A working-class husband and father questions whether his terrifying dreams of an apocalyptic storm signal something real to come or the onset of an inherited mental illness he's feared his whole life. Cast: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker. This looks super serious, and that’s great, but I really just want to see Katy Mixon.
Terri (Director: Azazel Jacobs; Screenwriters: Patrick Dewitt and Azazel Jacobs) — Orphaned to an uncle who is fading away, mercilessly teased by his peers and roundly ignored by his teachers, Terri is alienated and alone. When the dreaded vice-principal sees something of himself in Terri, they establish a friendship which opens Terri up to the possibility that life is not something to be endured, but something to be shared, and even enjoyed. Cast: Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina. Ok, I know this film sounds ridiculous, but it has Creed Bratton in it. That’s gotta count for something, right?
The Untitled Sam Levinson Project (Director and screenwriter: Sam Levinson) — A pair of reckless siblings are dragged into a chaotic family wedding by their overwrought mother. Cast: Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Jeffrey DeMunn, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church. Wedding movies involving dis-functional families are always the best.
BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer’s Journey (Director: Constance Marks) — The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. A movie about the guy who has his hand up Elmo’s butt all day? Actually, that sounds kind of sweet.
Page One: A year inside the New York Times (Director: Andrew Rossi; Screenwriters: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi) — Unprecedented access to theNew York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity. Something tells me it will be more than bored journalists checking Twitter all day.
The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Directors: Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion) — A brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia's horrific 14-year civil war renounces his violent past and reinvents himself as an Evangelist, facing those he once terrorized. And the award for logline least like the film the title suggests goes to this film.
Abraxas (Director: Dai Sako; Screenwriters: Dai Sako and Naoki Kato) — After botching a speech on career guidance at a local high school, a depressed Zen monk with a heavy metal past realizes that only music can revive his spirit.Cast: Suneohair, Rie Tomosaka, Manami Honjou, Ryouta Murai, Kaoru Kobayashi.
Zen monks and heavy metal? This nirvana goes to 11.
All Your Dead Ones (Todos Tus Muertos) (Director Carlos Moreno; Screenwriters: Alonso Torres and Carlos Moreno) — One morning, a peasant wakes to find a pile of bodies in the middle of his crops. When he goes to the authorities, he quickly realizes that the dead ones are a problem nobody wants to deal with. Cast: Alvaro Rodríguez, Jorge Herrera, Martha Marquez, Harold Devasten, John Alex Castillo. Sounds gross to find a bunch of dead bodies amongst your crops, but it does sound like a great film.
Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) (Director: Anne Sewitsky; Screenwriter: Ragnhild Tronvoll) — A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door. Cast: Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Maibritt Saerens, Joachim Rafaelsen.
You had me at sex-starved Norwegian housewife.
Vampire (Director and screenwriter: Iwai Shunji) — On the surface, Simon seems like a fairly normal, average young man, devoted to his teaching job and ailing mother. Secretly, he is compelled to hunt through online chat rooms and message boards, searching for the perfect girl who will ensure his own survival. Cast: Kevin Zegers, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rachel Leigh Cook, Kristin Kreuk, Aoi Yu and Adelaide Clemens. A Japanese film about creepy guys hunting girls? Surely you jest.
KNUCKLE (Director: Ian Palmer) — An epic 12-year journey into the brutal and secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle fighting, this film follows a history of violent feuding between rival clans. I hope this film will make me want to break a bottle over my head and throw someone out a pub window.
Project Nim (Director: James Marsh) — From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who was taught to communicate with language as he was raised and nurtured like a human child. I’ve often dreamed of a world where men and monkeys live as one. Also I’ve always wanted to ask a Gorilla if he wanted to play video games with me.
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (Director:Matthew Bate) — When two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world's first 'viral' pop-culture sensations. And with a great title and an intriguing logline, this film has me wanting more. Sounds delightful.

As the film’s title indicates in no uncertain terms our heroine teenager Molly Hartley (Haley Bennett) is haunted by a tragic past that keeps coming back to torment her. Attempting to acclimate to a new school (Huntington Prep) Molly must deal with new classmates and also recurring bouts of nosebleeds and hallucinations -- particularly of her wild-eyed mother (Marin Hinkle) who had previously tried to stab her to death claiming that she was trying to save her from some sort of birthright. “The darkness is coming for you ” said Mom before plunging a pair of scissors into Molly’s chest. What’s really going on? Are Molly’s hallucinations of a psychotic or a supernatural nature? It takes a long while to get to that point by which time the answer should be obvious ... and long after audience interest has dwindled severely.
An interesting and attractive actress Haley Bennett (Music and Lyrics) doesn’t necessarily project the vulnerability that her tormented character would call for but she seems capable of carrying a film. Unfortunately this one lets her down -- and the problem lies entirely in the story. Everyone else in the cast is saddled with one-dimensional characters: Jake Weber as Molly’s perennially-worried dad; Chace Crawford as the resident hunk; Shanna Collins as a born-again classmate; and Shannon Marie Woodward as a more rebellious classmate. Ron Canada as the school superintendent is on and off the screen so fast one wonders why he bothered at all. There is however a nice if smallish turn by Nina Siemaszko as the school’s guidance counselor who’s clearly got her eye on these goings-on. The Haunting of Molly Hartley marks the feature directorial debut of Mickey Liddell who previously toiled on the small screen as a producer of Everwood and Jack &amp; Bobby two shows with prominent teenaged characters -- so he has experience in the field. There are some interesting camera angles and technically the film is competent enough but the story unravels at the midway point and Liddell is unable to stop the skid. By the film’s (foregone) conclusion it’s begun to telegraph its shocks and its plot twists with increasing regularity. It’s well-made but it’s also flat. There’s not a particularly high body count but there’s obvious editing in some of the more violent scenes -- clearly an attempt to earn the film a PG-13 rating which is a far friendlier proposition at the box-office where this should earn some decent coin from the horror faithful.